The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-06-16

there were 100000 sacrificed at the
gaming table. Perhaps some of your
friends have been smitten by it.
Perhaps there may be stranger in the
house this morning come from some Of
the hotels Look out for those agents OF
iniquity who tarry around about the
hotels, and ask you: "Would you like tt
see the city?n Eyes" "Have YOU ever
seen that splendid building up towna'
''No." Then the villain will un.
dertake to show you what he calls the
''honss and the elephants" and after
young man, through morbid curiosity
or through badness of soul, has seen the
s1ions" and the elephants" he will be on
enchanted ground. Look out for these
men who move around the hotels with
sleek hats-and patronizing air, and I'M
accountable interest about your welfare
and entertainment. You are fool if you
can not see through it. They want your
money.
In Chestnut street, Philadelphia, while
was living in that city, an incident oc.
cured which was familiar to us there. In
Chestnut street young man went into a
gambling saloon, lost all his property.
then blew his brains out, and before the
blood was washed from the floor by the
maid the comrades were shutting cards
again. You see there is more mercy in
the highwayma for the belated
traveller on whose body he heaps the
stones, there is more mercy in the frost
for the flower that it kills, there is more
mercy in the hurricane that shivers the
steamer on the Long Island coast, than
there is mercy in the heart OF q gambler
for his victim.
In the third watch of the night, also,
drunkenness does its worst. The drink.
ing will be respectable at eight o'clock in
the evening, a little flushed at nine. talka.
tive and garrulous at ten, at eleven bias
phe nous, at twelve the hat falls off, at
one the man falls to the floor asking for
more drink. Strewn through the drink.
ing saloons of the city, fathers, brothers,
husbands, sons, as good as you are by nat.
ure, perhaps better.
In the high circles of society tits hushed
up. A merchant prince, it he gets NOISY
and uncomfortable, is taken by his fellow
jewellers, who try to get him to bed, or
take him home, where ne falls fat in the
entry. Do not wake up the children.
They have had disgrace enough. Do net
let them know it. Hush it up. But some
times it can not be hushed up, when the
rum touches the brain and the man be-
comes thoroughly frenzied. Such a one
came home, having been absent for some
time, and during his absence his wife had
died, and she lay in the next room pre-
pared for the obsequies, and he went in
and dragged her by the locks, and shook
her out of her shroud, and pitched her
out of the window.
Oh! when rum touches the brain you
can not hush it up. My friends, you see.
all around about you the need that some
thing radical be DONE You do not see the
worst In the midnight meetings at Lon
don great multi itude have been saved
We want few hundred Chris tian men
and women to come down from the high
est circles of society to toll amid these
wandering and destitute ones, and kindle
up light in the dark alley, even the glad.
ness of heaven
Do not go wrapped in your fine furs and
from your we'll filed tables with the idea
that pious talk is going to stop the gnaw-
ing OF an empty stomach, or to warm
stockin gless feet. Take bread, take
raiment, take medicine as well as take
prayer. There is great deal of common
sense in what the poor woman said to the
city missionary, when he was telling her
how she ought to love God and serve him.
'Oh," she said, ''if you were as poor
and cold as l am, and as hungry, you
could think of nothing else''
'sWhat are you distributing tracts for
nowa There are 1900 men bleeding to
death. Bind up their wounds, and Their
distribute the tract5n
We want more common sense in Chris
tian work, taking the bread of this life in
one hand and the bread of the next life in
the other hand. No such inapt work as
that done by the Christian man who, dur
ing the last war, went into a hospital
with tracts. and coming to the bed of
man whose legs had been amputated,
gave him tract on the sin OF danclngl /
rejoice before God that never are sympa-
thetic words uttered, neveca prayer Of
fered, never a Christian almsgiving in
dulged in but it is blessed.
There is place in Switzerland, have
been told, where the utterance of one
word will bring back score OF echoes;
and have to tell you this morning that
sympathetic word, kind word, gen.
erous word. a helpful word, uttered in the
dark places of the town, will bring back
10000 echoes from the thrones of Heaven.
Are there in this assemblage this morn
ing those who know by experience the
tragedies in the third watch of the night?
am not here to thrust you back by one
hard word. Take the bandage from your
bruised soul, and put on it the soothing
salve of Christ's Gospel and of Gods COM
passion. Many have come. I see others
coming to God this morning, tired Of the
sinful life. Cry up the news to Heaven
Set all the bells ringing. Spread the BAN
quet under the arches. Let the crowned
heads come down and sit at the jubilee.
tell you there is more delight in Heaven
over one man that gets reformed by the
grace of God than over ninety and nine
that never got off the track
But there is man who will not reform.
He says: Il won't reform.n Well, then,
how many acts are there in tragedy
believe five.
Act the first Of the tragedy: A young
man starting off from home. Parents and
sisters weeping to have him go. Wagon
rising over the hill. Farewell kiss flung
back. Ring the bell and let the curtain
fall.
Act the second: The marriage altar.
Full organ. Bright lights. Long white
vail trailing through the aisle. Prayer
and congratulation, and exclamation =
'How well she lool1si''
Act the third: A woman waiting for
staggering steps Old garments stuck
int the hrnlrau xu;,,d NIL.